ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ,that's the alphabet
by ZuvielCreepyHBrows-yCreamPuffs
Summary: Fanfiction AU. What happens when a little girl read aloud to a small audience of children? Alfred become obsessed by the idea of learning how to read, and making other children listening to his reading all dreamy like he was, naturally. [...And sorry for the horrible title, folks.]


**Characters:**

**ChibiAmerica**

** England AU **

**Human names used (Alfred= America; Arthur=England)**

**Disclaimer: I own only this story.**

* * *

Alfred looked at the hospital with eyes full of sorrow, and a bit of anger towards the big white edifice.

- Come on in, little boy. The hospital won't eat you, I swear! – said a nurse sweetly. – Want a candy?

The four-year boy immediately brightened, and hurried towards the open hand in front of him.

- Thank you. – Arthur replied with a smile, then took the hand of his little brother apprehensively. He will never admit it loudly, but he was more scared than him in view of the medical control.

And if they found something wrong with his health, something bad and serious? He wasn't sure if he could handle it.

Anyway, better know.

He found himself dragging the poor boy up and down the stairs, struggling to reach the waiting room.

- Do you need any help, sir? This floor is the one with the mortuary, you see.

Arthur looked around, caught out. Ah, this was the time of a big stern-looking guy. Judging by the white coat, he was a doctor.

- I beg your pardon..Mortuary? – he gulped – Yes please.. do you know where room 483 is?

- Didn't you see the information plaque at the entrance? It's on the second floor, the door on the right.

- Thank you. – he recompose himself, and hastened to go out of that place. The image of Alfred lying on one of those table entered his mind. If it wasn't for last summer's accident, he would have never been so anxious, he pondered. Hospitals wouldn't have been the happiest place ever anyway, but..

Enough thinking, Arthur. Here's room 486.

* * *

- The boy's perfectly fine, . Don't you worry.

Arthur released the breath he had held until that moment. The doctors had been talking to him for a while, so he had lost sight of Alfred.

- Thank you very much for your help. I'm going to find the boy now. With permission.. - with these words the man walked away, looking for the above-mentioned.

His scowl changed in a growing smile at the sight of Alfred. He had eyes only for the young girl talking in the middle of some open-mouthed children. Not talking, he noticed, but reading aloud a story book of some sort.

- Alfred.. – no answers – Alfred, we must go now.. – he decided on shaking lightly the boy's shoulder.

- Eh, uh…. – his brother fixed his eyes on him looking like he was still in the dream world – Can I stay a little longer? Pretty please?

He melted under the begging eyes of the child and nodded imperceptibly.

The story was over, and Alfred made up his mind. He would have learned to read, like that girl in the hospital. He would have been the hero of other children, who would have been sitting in a circle around him and would have listened to his reading voice with wide eyes.

* * *

- Oh dear, that was simply awesome! One of my favourite plays! Come on,share your thoughts about "Henry V"!

The snores were almost covering Arthur's little squeals.

* * *

- And that was the end of "The Little Match Girl". Do you like it?

He wasn't given an answer. The strangled sobs shaking Alfred's body were enough.

* * *

- Mmm, how about this wonderful story called "The Ugly Duckling"? This is happier, don't you think?

- This is sad too, Big Brother – whined the little child.

Arthur was upset. Why couldn't he make Alfred all dreamy like the hospital's little girl? He had already tried all the English novels and Shakespeare and only lately he has opted for the Danish author Andersen. It was against his love for his motherland, but to make Alfred happy he would have even read him FRENCH fairy tales. (He was a little envious of the kid, actually, he had to admit..)

Well, he had to think of another possible story to tell him. In the meantime..

- Here, watch the pictures of this book. I'll search for a old book of mine.. It belongs to my childhood, you know.. – his voice grew dimmer with the distance.

- Not the storage room again – sighed Alfred.

He snatched the book and inspected the cover suspiciously. He had never opened a book on his own before.

- Look, I found it! – exclaimed Arthur with a little cough. He was covered with dust, and he expected the usual scream of the kid: "You're hair is all gray! What magic is inside that room? I wanna know!" but it came nothing.

Alfred was completely absorbed in the book.

The pictures must be really beautiful, reflected Arthur.

* * *

- It's time I teach you reading… I guess – said his elder brother with a bit of melancholy. – So you will not bother me to read you a story again, ahah –

Alfred was nearly jumping for joy as he tried over and over to learn reading on his own, but it was just too difficult to link the pictures on the books with the phrases written nearby. But.. was it sadness the thing which he sensed in Arthur's voice?

No, it was probably nothing.

He was going to learn reading, bloody hell! (Big Brother said this a lot when he thought Alfred wasn't listening..)

* * *

- No, this is a "C", don't you remember? You're hopeeeless. – teased Arthur with a smile.

- Don't worry, Big Brother, I will be soon faster and better than you at reading! All heroes know how to read! – replied the other.

Arthur ruffled his hair jokingly, but with that little bit of gloom in his eyes, like always when they talked about reading and stuff.

* * *

It was night and the man woke up suddenly after hearing a little noise.

It was coming from Alfred's room, so Arthur rushed beside the little boy, tripping over something.

- Bloody hell!

- You shouldn't say bad words, Big Brother! – what? Was Alfred awake?

- How do you know it's a bad word, mm?

- You never say that when I'm there. And when you do say them, the other people frown at you.

- You saved yourself, boy. Good reasoning. You mustn't say them,ok?

He directed his thoughts to the object he tripped over. He squinted his eyes, eyelids heavy because of the sleepiness: What was it? A..a book?

The kid started lightly on the bed as the brother directed his glance to him.

Feeling guilty, he started to babble: - Ehm…yes,that.. I couldn't sleep… I thought I could look at a few pictures to induce sleep.. and.. – He ran out of words.

- Haven't you learned how to read, yet? Well, anyway, you're going to primary school next year, so it's not too bad, don't worry: in a year or two you'll be surely capable of it. – There was a hint of relief in Arthur's voice, and this time the kid caught it plainly.

- Yes, that's right. Will you.. will you read me that book you found the other day in the storage room? I know it's late, but I can't really sleep!

- That's ok, Alfred. – this time, Arthur really beamed, and the little guy felt all warm inside.

He felt he had made the right choice. Wasn't it what a hero would have done?

…And anyway, listening to Arthur reading wasn't all that bad. …And having eyes only for him.

* * *

**Well, this was my first attempt to write a "normal" fanfiction, and the second one all things considered. Hope you enjoyed and all the ****other ****things writers usually put at the end of their story- And sorry for possible mistakes, English isn't my first language ç-ç**

**(This was actually very similar to the way I ****myself ****learnt how to read...VERY VERY similar. I admired the girl who read to the other children of the hospital very much, so I decided to learn myself. Only that I thought that 'reading' was a sort of guilt, or maybe I didn't want to give satisfaction to my mum who tried to teach me, so I didn't tell my parents I was capable of it, but kept doing it in secret, with little books under my pillow. Hope it's not so strange O_O)**


End file.
